#ThisMumCan – and so can you

Something big has been happening in July. It’s been quiet on the blog for a very good reason – I’m quitting my staff job and I’m setting up my own business. There. I said it. Out loud and in print!

Gulp.

It’s been utterly terrifying and incredibly exciting all at the same time, and I don’t think I have ever been this busy in my life. As I commute into town on my last day at work (for someone else anyway!), I’m full of mixed emotions…

It’s the job I shifted career to do when I realised that spontaneous filming and family life didn’t work for me. It’s the job that has kicked off my desire to work for myself again with a new set of skills. It’s the first place in my working life I’ve settled and felt at home, having freelanced right up until having children. So this is a big step.

But I’ve discovered a lot about myself, and other Mums who’ve inspired me, as I kickstart this new phase of my life.

#ThisMumCan:

Get up at 5am with the baby and write a business pitch.

Cope with the most important day of photos, bank appointments, client meetings with a tummy bug. Thank you Immodium.

Push that important email to the back of her mind and play SuperCar Top Trumps for half an hour.

Fly away from her 6 month old to a one-night brainstorm in France, whilst her business partner’s vomiting child lays on the sofa next to our flip chart (babysitter & restaurant cancelled!)

Batch cook bolognaise between emails.

Read through website copy at midnight – and make decent changes.

Make it to pre-school Leaving Assembly with time to spare.

Take half a day out to just be Mum and stomp around the park like a tree-monster.

Open a business bank account in branch for two hours with a fifteen month old in tow. Fun times.

Keep up the blog and drive new content and partnerships.

Work the current job like a pro right up to the end date.

Make big life cutbacks – Sainsburys to Tesco/Lidl, all social ‘luxuries’ cut, pause the pension, cancel the cleaner. SOB!

Do a happy dance when a new client says they want to meet.

Clink a prosecco glass before her business partner heads off express milk in the pub toilet. #rockandroll

Review ts and cs with a toddler stabbing the laptop screen making counting noises.

Burst into tears with the pressure of it all. Just the once, mind.

Drop the ball on some life stuff (so sorry friends, a little bit sorry sports day) because there’s simply too much on.

Tweet & Insta as she walks (watch that lamp-post!)

Laugh at the absurdity of it all! You mean we won’t pay ourselves anything for about six months? HAHA! And I’m leaving my staff job WHY again?!

Pull in favours from amazingly talented friends left right and centre to get it off the ground.

Do her very best and keep smiling nonetheless.

This is not a big list of brags. It’s a big list of #AllMumsCan. So go get ’em.

It is… but depending on the day, or the hour of the day, sometimes the weather… it is exciting and scary in equal measure. I also think I sound braver than I actually am! What’s the worst that could happen right? :-0 Thanks Jo x

To be fair it’s a pretty big list of brags and GO YOU! I could maybe do about half of those. But my wife, like you, could do them all and the rest. Also good luck in the new adventure, never an easy decision but if anyone can do it it sounds like #thismumcan.
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Who is Media Mummy?

I’m Kimberly, a London/Surrey based juggler of many balls including a TV career, motherhood & this blog malarky. Quite a lot of people follow me apparently, although about 65 million others in the UK don’t. But hey – sometimes the cool crowd is small…